"...it is inspired recruitment of Miranda Pollard as the perfect foil for the equally gifted vocalist Moleta that steals the show. ... she would be well advised to continue her time with Moleta as the pair are now responsible for each other's musical high points
X-Press magazine (2012)
Live at Guildford Grammar School chapel, when Benedict and Miranda performed at the Hush concert, July 7, 2012.
The studio recording of this song is track number ten on Benedict's seventh album "Singleton", which was released shortly after this show:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/changing
This is the first of two live tracks with Miranda Pollard, from the 2012 Guildford Grammar chapel show, to be released by Benedict in 2022 (on Bandcamp only).
The second track was "Another Hound", released December 2022:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/another-hound-2012-live-recording-at-guildford-grammar-chapel-released-2022
Background and context:
Benedict and Miranda began working together in late 2010.
Benedict heard Miranda's solo work, was electrified, asked her to play solo at shows at The Bird and The Kurb Gallery - and then asked if she would consider trying some harmonies on his latest songs.
First one was "Silent D" - an ode to Nadine Garner that Benedict had just written, prompted by a TV-magazine article given to him by his mate Darren Clayton (who knew that Benedict held Garner in high regard).
Harmonies went well and Miranda and Benedict starting working on vocal arrangements for other new songs.
Aside from facility in high and low registers (that brought balance and purity to Benedict's talk-songs), Miranda also has a startling ability to synchronize vocal phrasing in harmony singing. Maybe a mix of gifts and choral experience.
At this time (December 2010) Benedict was working on the material for "White Marble Heyday":
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/album/white-marble-heyday-album-2011
That album is five duo tracks with Jonathan Brain, five band tracks with Benedict's then four-piece band and three further tracks. Track six on this album - "Green Leaves" - features Harry Kneen on bass and Daniel Marano on guitar. Soul brother Marano had previously contributed field recordings of distant trains to "Running Sideways" (a song about Austria in the 1960s, on the album "Timesheet") - but "Green Leaves" is the only studio recording Benedict has made that features Marano actually playing his guitar.
The last song on "White Marble Heyday" - "Bird With a Broken Wing" - is a 90-second observation on colour-blindness and flying blind. Also solo, the song "Blood Borne" is a talk-singing description of character and destiny in the lives of a number of people Benedict has known. Thematically this song goes with "Two Girls" (on the album "Continuous Talking"). In delivery it goes with other talk-singing recollections such as "Eugene" (on "The Lines of Parallel Trees"), "And Not Riding on a Stolen Horse" (on "Continuous Talking"), and "Exhibition" (on "Singleton"):
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/eugene
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/and-not-riding-on-a-stolen-horse
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/exhibition
While the 13 tracks were being arranged and rehearsed for "White Marble Heyday", Benedict worked through 2011 with Miranda and the players who came together for the next album ("Singleton", 2012): Andrew Ewing, Bill Darby and Scott Tomlinson.
On "Singleton" Miranda sings on four songs:
White Roses:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/white-roses
Silent D:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/silent-d
Another Hound:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/another-hound-2
Changing:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/changing
Miranda and Benedict continued singing together on new songs, and Miranda sings throughout the following album "The Magical World". Harmony highlights on that album include:
Book of Trees:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/book-of-trees
(A song about evening euphoria)
Black Rose:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/black-rose-2
(A song about morning euphoria)
River Mouth:
benedictmoleta.bandcamp.com/track/river-mouth
(Euphoria in motion)
Song words:
The body in the bed next to me is not mine
What comes into your head instinctively; accept or decline?
Somehow you're supposed to be able to just recognize when it's right
You've met your match this time
Because she's another gemini
You'll have to go and ask your Croatian friend what this means for your love life
You'll be changing the way you spend your evenings, and your sleeping style
No more Rancho Relaxo, taking up the whole of the Queen-size
How are you supposed to know when it's right ?
You can call this dead time
You can call it whatever you like
You can call this a black hole
You can call it a white night
But what do you call that first second
When you first lock eyes ?
When you feel hot and breathless, simultaneously sky-high and resigned
When you say "I'm beside myself" this is just a figure of speech
When you say "This is unprecedented" you're only allowed to say that once
When you're describing how you feel you’re so earnest and naive
Just remember the one you've got to prove it to is you, not me
Yep I'm happy to switch out the light and listen to you babbling as I fall asleep
Yes I am filled with pleasure when I feel my toes touch your feet
But how am I supposed to know if you're right for me?
released October 19, 2022
Recorded by Adam Trainer for RTR fm.
Mastered by Adrian Sardi.
The 2012 Hush concert was organized by David Craddock and Stacy Gougoulis.
A video capturing highlights of the evening can be found at:
youtu.be/X43TYh1HHqQ
